The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-12-22
FREEZING TO DEATH.
The Blizzard Catches the People
Of Western Kansas Suffering
For Fuel.
Seven Persons Reported Frozen to
Death-Worse News Expected
Trains Delayed.
Railroad Wrecks in New York, Arkansas
and Missouri-Fatal Fall of New
Building. f--

WICHITA. Kan, Dec. 21.-Private advices
from the West are that four people froze
| to death in Ashland, Clark County, Mon
| day night, and widow woman, Mrs. Riley,
| and two children, near Dlghton, Lane
| County, were also found dead yesterday.
Hale Cowley, a prominent real estate
man Of this city, arrived early yesterday
| morning from trip of several days in the
counties Of Clark, Comanche and Meade,
and says that before the arrival OF the
blizzard many people there living on claims
were coming to the towns and railroad
points for food and fuel. The drought last
summer prevented raising any thing and
all provisions are shipped in, and the
| scarcity of provisions was not less to be
feared than the scarcity of fuel. In num-
Der Of towns there is little fuel, and all
means of transportation being cut OF,
many fear great distress IN the sparsely
| settled districts.
| A leading railroad man of this city said
that with no interference TO traffic by snow
| it would be as much as the railroads could
do to keep the people in Western Kansas
supplied with food and fuel. He claims
that the phenomenal increase of mileage on
all lines in the State found rolling stock
not increased proportiOnately and there is
| great need of freight cars and engines.
| Concerning the coal famine out West the
| railroad official intimated that he had
! news. but did not wish to make known to
| the public exactly what it was. He gave
| assurance, however, that matters were in
| much worse condition than could be de-
| sired. He did not hesitate to say that if
traffic were impeded several days the peo-
| pie would suffer. The people of this city
are considerably alarmed over the threat
| ened fate Of their Western neighbors and
| a movement to send assistance to them is
| on foot.
Yesterday morning about three o'clock
freight train of the Frisco road was de-
| rallied near Andover, ten miles east OF here,
IN cut by the snow while going eighteen
miles per hour. The wreck caused consid-
| cradle damage to the train, some cars being
| almost ruined aud their contents badly
| damaged. One brakeman named Asheard
was severely hurt, and one or two others
were slightly injured AS a result of the
wreck no trains on that line came in or
went out of the city yesterday. The Mis-
souri, Pacific train leaving here at seven a.
IN. has not arrived at Eldorado having
struck a snow drift about five miles west
of that town.
On the Wichita & Colorado trains are
the Wichita & Western struck drift near
Cheney, twelve miles west of here. and has
not arrived and there was no travel on that
road while the Santa Fe trains were from
forty minutes to three hours late. 1t is
rumOred that ten miles south a freight was
derailed in a snow drift, but there being a
double track at that point travel will not
be impeded by the wreck.
MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORSE.
New YORK, Dec. 2l-An uptown train on
the Sixth avenue elevated railroad crowd
ed with passengers was thrown from the
track near the Franklyn street station in
West Broadway yesterday afternoon and
the cars bumped along over the ties and
would have fallen to the street but for the
fact that at the point where the accident
occurred third track was being put in
over the middle of the street and the tim
bers to sustain the additional track had
been thrown across between the tracks
on the sides of the street and the derailed
train was thus sustained. The passengers
were terribly frightened and panic stricken,
but no one was hurt. All left the cars and
climbed down upon the structure to the
Franklin street station, where they de-
scended 10 the street. Traffic was sus-
pended for two hours The accident is at
Cributed to defective rail, but will not be
fully explained until an investigation has
been made.
DISASTROUS COLLISION.
ST. Louis, Dec. 2l.-A disastrous collision
occurred yesterday morning near Newport,
Ark, between south bound passenger
train and north bound freight. on the Iron
Mountain railroad. The fireman of the
passenger train was instantly killed and
the engineer, Valentine. seriously wounded,
perhaps fatally. Roadmaster English was
severely injured. The baggage master and I
Express messenger were also hurt slightly
and the passengers were shaken up, but
none of them were injured. The baggage
and express cars were turned over and
took fire, but the flames were speedily put
out. Both locomotives and several freight
cars were practically demolished. The en-
gineer and fireman of the freight train es-
capped by Jumping .....
WABASH WRECK
MEXICO, No., Dec: zL-While two Wa
bash freIghts were trying to work through
a cut six miles west of this city early yes
terday morning another freight running
twenty miles an hour crashed into their
rear, causing avery disastrous wreck All
three trains are piled up in an indescrib
able condition, and owing to the blizzard
can not be cleared away for day or so.
Meanwhile the Wabash trains are being
transferred in this city to the Chicago &
Alton, over whose line they pass the
wreck.
FOUR BUILDINGS BURNED.
Downs, Kan, Dec. 2l.-At three O'Clock
yesterday morning fire, caused by de-
fective tiue, broke out in the large clothing
house of j. b. franklin and four buildings
were totally destroyed. j. b. Franklin,
clothier, lost $4,000, while his insurance
was $1,000. l.. z. Stump, hardware dealer,
lost $4,000, insured for 5000; Harvey & |
Kinney, carpenters, lost $1,000 insurance |
unknown, and Llbbie Hamilton's residence, |
loss 81, 900, insurance unknown.
ROTTEN WALLS.
JOLIET, H., Dec 2L.-The end wall of q |
newly completed tiye-stery stone block |
known as the Barber block fell Yesterday |
afternoon carrying with il number of |
workmen. William Stage, a contractor |
and John Palmer, a workman, were in
stantly killed, and Edward Potts, Oden |
Johnson and William Benlong were taken /
out from under the mass of stone and |
mortar horribly cut and injured and can
lot live. Alternate freezing and thawiug /
Of the mortar caused the wall to settle and
finally fall. a---1-----
SAVED FROM WRECK q
NEW YORK. Dec. N--David j. Campbell,
nate, and John Coleman and Frank Tay-
or, seamen, survivors Of the crew of the
:oasting schoonerD. & E Kelly, wrecked of
no nalarx-aro c..y1oc IN no 17fh rvara |